


Dead Men Tell no Tales

by Anonymous



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:20:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27325684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: He watches but no one watches him.
Relationships: Iwai Munehisa/Kurusu Akira
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25
Collections: Anonymous, Iwaipego Halloween Event 2020





	Dead Men Tell no Tales

**Author's Note:**

> It's supposed to be Iwapego but it's surprisingly very little

Iwai Munehisa. 25 years old.

That was the day Akira first saw the scruffy young adult who crashed into the worn-down unit with nothing but two cardboard boxes. The first thing the man did was unpack his belongings before laying down on the cheap, thin futon that would probably kill his back. Despite his young age, there were creases on his forehead like he was too used to frowning. His eyes were riddled with dark bags and when he took off his shirt, his stomach was wrapped in bandage.

He had been shot and was currently nursing his own wound. It took about two weeks before the bandage came off. On its spot was a small mark of bullet entry.

The one thing that melted Akira was the baby boy he took home three days after his complete recovery. The small boy cried out like healthy babies would. His cheeks were rosy and hair luscious and dark just like his own. Akira took an immediate liking to the new resident.

Iwai wasn't used to parenthood at _all_. He spent a good half an hour figuring out how to mix the baby formula, another hour to look at the diaper instructions and sometimes, he'd wake up in the middle of the night to baby Kaoru crying. It was especially bad because Akira knew how little sleep the now 26 years old got, so he took matter into his own hands.

Akira would watch over Kaoru. He'd rock the bed and spin the overhead toy when Kaoru opened his eyes at ungodly hour. Sometimes, he'd even have a pacifier or baby bottle filled with milk ready.

It was clear that Iwai grew puzzled as to why the nightly interruptions stopped, but seeing Kaoru growing up healthy, he accepted it as a blessing.

By the time Iwai was 30, Akira learned a great deal about him. His ties to the Yakuza, his occupation as an airsoft owner, his inability to cook or take care of himself.

And his love for Kaoru.

Kaoru would sometimes talk to Akira. Perhaps not directly, but a whisper. 

"Who are you?" He'd ask.

Sometimes when he was particularly chatty, he'd ramble on and on about his day while he cleaned the small apartment unit.

The baby Akira felt like he saw only yesterday was now 12 years old. He was an intelligent boy who only wanted to impress his father. As a result, he grew up to be an independent, studious teenager any parent could only dream of having.

It was at this time that Akira noticed Iwai pulling away from Kaoru. Their interactions dramatically reduced and now, more and more fights occurred. None of it was ever Kaoru's fault. For some reason, Iwai decided to push his only son away and it didn't sit right with Akira.

Sometimes, he'd sit with the neglected boy with one hand rubbing Kaoru's back up and down soothingly. Seeing him break down into tears was always enough to shatter his heart. It was a sensation he thought he'd never felt ever again and Akira wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

When Kaoru was 15, he saw his first dead body.

Akira's stomach lurched the moment he saw a knife being sunk into flesh and he could feel his own body reacting to the look of agony in the intruder's eyes.

"Kaoru..." Iwai, his front covered in blood turned towards his son who trembled in shock in the corner. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." The now 42 years old man choked. He stumbled over his words as he stood there, uncertain if he should advance or put some space between them.

Akira put a hand over his own stomach as he fought the urge to explode. Because he knew it would only traumatise poor Kaoru. When he was overly upset... things just were never the same. The floor would shake and furniture would drop.

It felt like forever before Kaoru spoke in a very, _very_ small voice. "...I-it's okay... dad..." Tears streamed down his face when he saw menacing glint of a gun in the intruder's hand. "You were just trying," he choked, "to protect me."

And Iwai, he immediately swooped down to his son and held the quivering boy until their tearducts were empty.

Akira then lowered himself to Iwai and Kaoru's level. He extended his arms and placed a hand on their backs. Once again, rubbing up and down. It was the only way he knew how to bring comfort to people.

He merely listened to the two apologising for everything and exchanging promises to stick by each other's sides for as long as they lived. 

He didn't speak throughout the entire ordeal. 

Because humans couldn't hear the voice of a ghost.


End file.
